Client feedback

“Mark Fletcher - excellent independent trustee, personality and high standards.”

Sukhjit Dhillon ,

RATP

“PSGS offered the right support at very short notice, at reasonable cost, when we really needed it.”

Ian Edwards,

Chair of Trustee, Comet Pension Scheme

“Excellent, very strong relationship. Good understanding of our needs. We can absolutely rely on PSGS. ”

David Onion ,

Volvo Group

“Appointing Kevin as KBC professional trustee was one of the best decisions the bank took. He complements the other two trustees and also appreciates the position of the employer too. The experience a professional trustee adds is invaluable and they can share their knowledge and market practice within the KBC plan. Kevin manages the budget in consultation with the bank, fully debriefs all parties and maintains a constant dialogue with myself (as HR Manager) and trustees. Since we have worked together for a number of years, Kevin also appreciates some of the limitations we face ie budgets, and always comes up with a proactive approach and solution. His input is particularly valued by the bank trustee who is an actuary in our pensions department in Belgium Head Office. ”

Sharron King,

KBC Bank

“Excellent service - as expected and why PSGS was chosen.”

Stuart Barker ,

Independent Occupational Pensions Consultant, RSPCA

“Very professional and engaged service.”

Danny Nussbaum,

HR Director, Volvo

BCP performance during the pandemic

Topic:

PSGS news

Date published:

Monday, 21 September 2020

Laptops had been rolled out to all employees in 2019 to replace older, desk-bound PCs. Many of our team already regularly worked from home but, a few days before the lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister, all staff were instructed to take laptops home to test they were working correctly.

The decision to introduce 100% mobile computing was partly based on the belief that if our staff had the ability to work from anywhere, they would become even more flexible and productive. It was also based on business logic: with an ever-expanding number of small offices across Punter Southall, it was cheaper and easier to have equipment that could be moved around easily and supported remotely. With security built into the design, staff and clients are assured information remains secure.

As well as the new laptops, during 2019 we also installed commercial-grade Wi-Fi networks at each office. This meant when staff took their laptops home in March, they were able to connect to their home broadband and securely access and use our systems exactly as they were used to doing in the office. This decision to move to mobile working proved invaluable, enabling our business to continue at normal operations during the forced transition from office to home working due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Extra IT equipment, such as additional monitors and headsets, were quickly supplied to staff at home and, as we had already outsourced engineering, fully configured laptops could be delivered directly to an individual’s home address where a replacement was required or a new team member had joined. A COVID-secure induction process was designed and successfully implemented.

The Microsoft Teams platform had been introduced as part of the transition to Office 365 when the new laptops were rolled out in 2019. We extended the functionality available within Teams to enable external video conferencing on this platform in addition to Skype for Business, giving us multiple options to continue with secure client meetings. Training was given to all staff with one-to-one support available if needed.

As a business, we pride ourselves on the way we share ideas and experience across the PSGS team and this has not stopped during the pandemic crisis. We use Teams to share information and ideas via our internal ‘hub’ and meet regularly as a business via video conference.

The PSGS Management Board continue to monitor the situation and have plans in place that flex as needed in these ever-changing circumstances to ensure our staff and clients remain protected.

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